The present invention relates to a method for recording and reproducing input information, an apparatus for the same and a recording medium such as a card and a label.
Heretofore, silver salt photography is known as a high sensitivity photographing technology, in which a taken image is recorded on a film or the like material through a developing process, and then reproduced by using a silver salt emulsion on a photographic paper or by optically scanning the developed film to display it on a cathode ray tube (hereinafter referred to as CRT).
Also known is an electrophotography method in which a photoconductive layer which is deposited together with an electrode is fully charged by corona electric charging at a dark place, after which the photoconductive layer is exposed to intense light to thereby make exposed portions conductive. Charges of the exposed portions are leaked for removal to optically form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive layer, and then a toner which has electric charges opposite in polarity to (or the same as ) the remaining charges is adhered to the latter for development.
Although this technology is mainly used in photocopying, it cannot be generally used for photographing because of low sensitivity, and in photocopying the toner developing is carried out at once after an electrostatic latent image is formed since charge holding time is short.
In television photography, a picture image is obtained by a camera tube, which provides electric signals of the picture image by means of a photosemiconductor for outputting to a CRT or for video recording by magnetic recording or the like to output the image on a CRT as desired.
Silver salt photography is excellent for storing a taken object image, but it needs developing to form a silver salt image and further complicated optical, electrical and chemical processing for reproducing the image in a hard copy or a soft copy (CRT output).
Although electrophotography is easier and quicker in developing an electrostatic latent image than silver salt photography, the former is inferior to the latter in the storing period of a latent image, resolution of the developer and picture quality.
Television photography requires linear scanning for obtaining and recording electric picture signals provided by a camera tube. Linear scanning is carried out by an electron beam in the camera tube and by a magnetic head in video recording. Resolution of the television photography image depends on the number of scanning lines and hence it is considerably inferior to planar analog recording such as silver salt photography.
Television photography using a solid-state image device such a CCD is essentially the same in resolution as the above-described television photography.
In these technologies, there are disadvantages such that high quality and high resolution picture image recording requires complicated processing while simpler processing of picture images results in lack of storing function or degradation of picture quality. Gramophone records, cassette tapes or the like media are used for recording aural information, and video tapes, compact discs, optical discs are used for recording picture image information and aural information. Although records and cassette tapes are very convenient media for recording voice, they have too small memory capacity to record picture image information. Video tapes require linear scanning, and is quite inferior in resolution to planar analog recording such as silver salt photograph. Compact discs and optical discs have essentially the same poor resolution as video tapes.
In the field of printing, the image processing system includes an original scanning unit, computer and exposure recording. The original is scanned and subjected to picture image processing, such as color correction and sharpness processing, and a scanner is used for recording the image on a film. When a color scanner is used, in the original scanning unit a color original is photoelectrically scanned to provide unadjusted three-color (red R, green G and blue B) separation signals, which are stored in a magnetic disc or a magnetic tape. The computer reads data stored to apply various processing, such as color adjustment, tone adjustment and picture image composition, and then provide adjusted four color separation signals. In the exposure recording unit, a film is exposed to scanning exposure in synchronism with the original scanning according to the four-color separation signals to output an adjusted four-color separation picture image.
Picture image data, read from the original, are enormous and hence they are according to the prior art scanner system, temporarily stored in a magnetic disc or a magnetic tape, and are read as desired. However, the scanner system needs much time to record picture image data to and read them from a magnetic disk or a magnetic tape and furthermore requires a large space for storing a large number of magnetic discs or tape to store enormous image data, say tens MB of data. In addition, there is a disadvantage that data stored in a magnetic tape may be damaged during long term of storing.
In printing, positioning of an original is necessary for setting it on a reading cylinder; it is hard to set the original on the reading cylinder with accurate rotation angle for rotating it a predetermined angle. In addition, various kinds of processing, such as color adjustment, masking and sharpness processing, are performed by computer operation, which involves a great amount of processing. This requires a large computer, resulting in an expensive large-scaled system.
Usually in the printing process, the projecting department makes as the first step thereof instructions concerning an enlargement ratio of a lantern slide original and trimming as to what portion thereof to be printed. For example, in trimming indication a tracing paper is placed on a 35 mm film original for transferring the pattern thereof by pencil to make the indication, with a description of the enlargement ratio. The trimming indication is put on a bag containing the original by an adhesive tape and sent to a printing step together with a schedule sheet. During transportation of this documents, the tracing paper can separate from the original or can be spoiled.
In the conventional scanner, an original is applied to the drum and hence there are disadvantages such that finger prints may placed on the original, and such that the original may be broken in separation from the drum. For small enlargement ratio, an original is directly applied to the drum by spraying a power to it to avoid Newton ring due to partial difference in adhesiveness between the original and the drum. For high enlargement ratio, after dipped in paraffin, an original is applied around the drum by means of transparent polyester film for preventing image of the powder from appearing in the printed picture image. Thus, the scanner involves a problem of the original being spoiled due to spraying of the powder and dipping of the original in paraffin. In addition, these operations requires time consuming preparation which reduces productivity.
In the conventional photocopying machine, a photoconductive layer which is deposited together with an electrode is fully charges by corona electric charging at a dark place, after which the photoconductive layer is exposed to intense light to thereby make exposed portions conductive. Charges of the exposed portions are leaked for removal to optically form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive layer, and then toner which has electric charged opposite in polarity to (or the same as) the remaining charges.
The exposure process according to the prior art copying machine requires high voltage and large electric power since electrostatic latent images are formed by exposing intense light after corona charging is fully carried out at high voltage. Although electrostatic latent images obtained can be promptly developed by a toner with ease. However, the toner development must be carried out at once after formation, of the electrostatic latent image since the charge holding time is very short. Thus, it is not possible to perform toner developing the latent image in a considerable period of time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for recording and reproducing information, in which enables recorded characters, drawings, pictures, codes and binary information to be repeatedly reproduced in a quality according to need, with high resolution, ease in processing and relatively long term storing of the latent image. The method and apparatus may be used in various fields of technology.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an information recording and reproducing apparatus which records aural information.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an information recording and reproducing method which improves sensitivity of recording.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an information carrying medium which is able to be repeatedly used by removing a latent image in it in an easy and positive manner.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an information recording and reproducing apparatus which is capable of reducing time for recording and reading an original, storing semipermanently the original read and performing picture composition, color correction, masking, sharpness treatment and the like processing with ease.
Another object of the present invention to provide an information carrying medium containing information of a printing original and original processing, the medium being adapted to pass through each step of printing process, whereby the printing original may be positively protected from being spoiled.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an information carrying medium which reduces preparation time for scanning with a color scanner, and which prevents an original from being damaged.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method, apparatus and recording medium which are capable of copying an original to the recording medium at a high speed with ease.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus which are capable of recording and reproducing information with high quality, high resolution, low voltage and low power consumption.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus which provide storing of information for a long period as compared to the prior art and is capable of toner development as desired.
With these and other objects in view, the present invention includes an information carrying medium, including a photosensitive member having a photosensitive layer, and an insulation layer arranged to face the photosensitive member. A piece of input information is stored in the information carrying medium for reproducing the piece of the input information in an electrical, optical or thermal manner.
One aspect of the present invention may perform the reproduction of information by reading charge potential.
According to the present invention, there may be provided electrostatic potential measuring means for reading an electrostatic potential of an information carrying medium having an electrostatic latent image recorded; control means for controlling scan driving of the information carrying medium or the electrostatic potential measuring means, whereby the electrostatic latent image is developed by scan driving the information carrying medium or the electrostatic potential.
The present invention may have a feature that there are provided a photosensitive member having a photosensitive layer and an insulation layer arranged to face the photosensitive member, the information carrying medium being adapted to store an input information.
In a preferred form of the present invention, there are provided: a photosensitive member having a photoconductive layer provided with an electrode on a front face thereof; an information carrying medium having an insulation layer provided with an electrode on a rear face thereof, the insulation layer facing the photosensitive member, and the photosensitive member and the information carrying medium being arranged along an optical axis; and a switch for applying and removing voltage across the electrodes, an electrostatic latent image, corresponding to an incident optical image, being formed on the information carrying medium by actuating the switch, and wherein the photoconductive layer is made of a low resistant photoconductive material which is adapted to generate as carriers charges of the same polarity as the electrode of the photosensitive member.
In another preferred mode of the present invention, an information recording and reproducing method comprises the steps of: arranging a photosensitive member and an information carrying medium to face to each other; forming an electrostatic latent image on the information carrying medium thus arranged by exposure of light under application of voltage thereby to store information; and erasing the electrostatic latent image by exposure of light under application of a reverse voltage.
In a still another preferred form of the present invention, an information recording and reproducing method comprises the steps of: performing exposure of light under application of voltage for storing electrostatic latent image on an information carrying medium, the medium facing a photosensitive member, and wherein a dielectric member is interposed between the photosensitive member and the information carrying medium.
In a preferred form of the present invention, there is provided an information recording and reproducing apparatus using an information carrying medium in which picture image data read from an original are stored, the stored picture image data is read for picture image processing in a computer to produce data with a picture image processed, the data with the picture image processed is stored and then stored date is read for output to a recording medium, the improvement in which the computer includes the information carrying medium as an outer memory thereof for storing the picture image data.
Another preferred form of the present invention provides an information recording and reproducing apparatus in which rays of information light from an original, placed in position, are read by means of an input scanner, the improvement wherein an electrostatic latent image is formed on an information carrying medium by imposing rays of the information light, and wherein a piece of information of an original is read by reading potential of the electrostatic latent image formed.
A still another preferred of the present invention provides an information recording and reproducing apparatus comprising read means for reading data of an electrostatic latent image in an information carrying medium in which a piece of information of a printing original is recorded as the electrostatic latent image by exposure of light under application of voltage; signal processing means for processing the electrostatic latent image data read; display means for displaying an image according to the electrostatic latent image data; and recording means for recording the electrostatic latent image data, signal processed, in the information carrying medium, and wherein the information carrying medium is adapted to use as an original for printing.
In a preferred form of the present invention, there is provided an information recording and reproducing apparatus comprising: electrostatic latent image reading means for reading electrostatic latent image in an information carrying medium to provide read signals; signal processing means for signal processing the read signals, the signal processing including a color correction operation; display means for displaying a color image according to the processed read signals; setting up means for setting up a scanner; and exposure means for exposing an engraving film to rays of light, whereby the electrostatic latent image is read for color display.
In a preferred mode of the present invention, there is provided an information recording and reproducing method comprising the steps of: arranging an original in contact or non-contact with an information carrying medium to face to each other, the original having a pattern, including a conductive portion and an insulating portion, formed thereon, the information carrying medium having an insulation layer formed on an electrode substrate; and applying d.c. voltage between the conductive portion and the electrode of the information carrying medium for forming an electrostatic latent image on the information carrying medium to correspond to the pattern of the original.
Another preferred mode of the present invention provides an information recording and reproducing method, in which an electrostatic latent image is formed on an information carrying medium by exposing a photosensitive member to rays of light while voltage is applied between the photosensitive, member and the information carrying medium, the improvement wherein the information carrying medium is in the shape of a drum, and wherein a strip of the photosensitive member is used whereby the exposure is carried out by using rays of scanning light or slitted light.
A preferred form of the present invention provides an information recording and reproducing apparatus wherein there are provided a light source for illuminating a plane of an original to obtain rays of information light, a photosensitive member on which rays of information light are imposed, an information carrying medium arranged to face the photosensitive member, and a developer for toner developing the information carrying medium, wherein an electrostatic latent image is formed in the information carrying medium by the exposure while voltage is applied between the photosensitive member and the information carrying medium, and wherein the electrostatic latent image is toner developed.
Preferably, the information recording and reproducing apparatus of the present invention may comprise a photosensitive member, having a photoconductive layer formed with an electrode at a front face thereof, and an information carrying medium having an insulation layer provided at a rear face thereof with an electrode, and wherein: the information carrying medium is arranged to face the photosensitive member, image exposure is carried out from the side of the photosensitive member or the information carrying medium while voltage is applied across the electrodes, then the information carrying medium is separated from the photosensitive member, and the separated information carrying medium is subjected to toner development for forming a toner picture image.
The information carrying medium is preferably formed in the shape of a card, and data are stored as an electrostatic latent image.
In a preferred form, there are provided information recording and reproducing apparatus comprising irradiating means for applying rays of information light and a photosensitive member including a photoconductive layer, wherein an electrostatic recording card is arranged to face the photosensitive member for storing data as an electrostatic latent image in the electrostatic record card.
Preferably, the information carrying medium is adapted to record in part thereof a hologram image or a specified electrostatic latent image for preventing forging.